For years I was registered, but never really present. Twenty years on the platform, yet essentially just a name in the directory with a profile photo. I accepted connection requests when I knew the person well and we shared a meaningful story. Otherwise nothing. No scrolling, no reading, no posting.
I was in corporate mode: visibility was something that happened internally. In meetings, projects, presentations. External visibility? Not my topic. I had a role, a function, an environment. That was enough.
Only when I left corporate life in 2022 did something begin to shift. I looked at my network and realized: more than 500 contacts. And I knew every single one of them personally. At the time, that felt like a surprisingly high number. But I had never really thought about the value this network might hold.
I didn’t write my farewell message as an internal email anymore, but as my first LinkedIn post. An experiment. I combined my goodbye with my learnings. People reacted. Many. With comments, with personal messages, with resonance.
That moment marked the beginning of my journey. I started using LinkedIn as a learning space. The WOL idea (Working Out Loud) became my compass. Working visibly, sharing experiences, strengthening connections, allowing resonance.
What I understood only later: in the corporate context, visibility is often tied to roles. You are visible because you hold a function. After leaving, I had to redefine my visibility. No longer as a “Vice President” but as a human being with values, experience, and perspective.
Looking back, three things have become clearer to me:
- A network unfolds its value only when you start using it. Not for broadcasting, but for connecting.
- Visibility is not an end in itself, but a learning process. Those who work visibly learn faster. About themselves and about others.
- Leaving corporate life is not a descent from a role, but an ascent into one’s own identity.
My own voice is evolving. My personal branding. Out of this phase, Prepare for Landing emerged. As a process, as a collection of thoughts, experiences, and insights.
And now I’m curious: What story would your own network tell about you if you asked it the question of your story?
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I’m Bernd Scharbert, and I support leaders in bringing intercultural guiding principles to life in their everyday work. It’s about seeing cultural differences not as obstacles but as strengths and creating real connections in globally composed teams. If this resonates with you, let’s start a conversation.
